Russia refuses to allow European planes to land in Moscow
Russia has retaliated against a ban on carriers entering Belarus’s airspace by refusing to grant permission to European planes flying to Moscow.
In an apparent escalation by the Kremlin, Russian aviation authorities forced Austrian Airlines to cancel its flight from Vienna to the Russian capital. Air France also cancelled its Paris-Moscow flight for the second day in a row, after it was denied permission on Wednesday to land in Russia.
Both carriers had posted new routes bypassing Belarus. The move follows the “hijacking” on Sunday of a Ryanair plane flying between Greece and Lithuania, and the arrest of two passengers onboard, the journalist Raman Pratasevich and his Russian girlfriend, Sofia Sapega.
Air France and Austrian Airlines were following a recommendation by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). It is unclear if Moscow’s retaliation is temporary or signals a more lasting standoff, which could in turn lead to countermeasures against the Russian national carrier Aeroflot.
Airfrance отменила рейс Париж-Москва из-за отсутствия разрешения на заход в пространство России. Это связано с решением компании облетать Беларусь Видео: очевидец, для «Новой»https://t.co/XSCt0yqZ0F pic.twitter.com/uZLrOw9x2W
